This invention is related to a system and corresponding method of establishing communication session(s) between users as a function of their availability and/or communication device(s).
Typically, users of communication tools (e.g., mobile phone, PCs, email, etc.) are faced with two essential tasks: locating the device address of other users to communicate with, and establishing a communication session with that device. These tasks typically differ depending upon what device the user(s) is/are using. For example, on a mobile phone with messaging capabilities, users usually locate other users by finding them in their local address book, and then establish either a voice session with that user by dialing a phone the user""s phone number, or they may type in a short text message (STM) and send that to the other user, either to their mobile phone or their email. Depending on the phone operator of the callee, he/she may or may not be able to receive these calls.
As another example, a user of a PC based text-chat software may have a list of other users that they can initiate a chat session with. However, they will only be able to do so when the other person is logged on. When logged off, they have no way of determining how to reach that person, nor can that person be made aware that someone is trying to reach them.
Thus, problems to be solved may include any or all of the following. How to make contact information available and configurable centrally, independent of devices, and give users a single address to use for all communications. How to advertise the availability of a user to participate in some kind of communication session. How to initiate a communication session with another user (i.e., a contact) independently of devices and thus without knowing any device addresses of the contact in question. How to enable users to centrally control how calls intended for them should be handled with or without their direct intervention. How to insure interoperability of these functions, when the callers and callees devices are on distinct networks, possible operated by different service providers. How to keep other users from changing a user""s contact information or routing settings or in any other way impersonate another person. How to allow a user to block annoying people from contacting him/her in a central location. How to enable more than one organization/company/operator to provide services described herein in an efficient and/or interoperable way.
The SS7 system allows intelligence in routing decisions made when setting up a phone call (e.g., see Intelligent Network (IN) architecture originated by Bell Communications Research), in which the service logic for a call is located separately from the switching facilities, allowing services to be added or changed without having to redesign switching equipment. A later version of IN called Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) introduced the idea of a service independent architecture in which a given part of a telephone number can be interpreted differently by different services depending on factors such as time of day, caller identity, and type of call. AIN makes it easy to add new services without having to install new phone equipment.
Unified messaging systems allow users to provide essentially one address for a variety of communication options, typically including phone calls, voice mailbox, fax, and e-mails. Typically, all messages are stored in one centralized inbox, that the user can access from different devices, sometimes using media translations (e.g., converting text messages to voice). This effectively reduces the number of device addresses that a user needs to give out. There are numerous companies working with unified messaging products.
Various companies have created networks running on top of the Internet that allow users to send each other short text messages and monitor the status of other users, where the status is usually defined as whether a user is currently connected to the network or not. This kind of functionality is currently being considered as an IETF standard called IMPP (Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol).
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is in the process of becoming an IETF standard, and has been positioned as the successor of SS7 in IP based networks. The protocol basically allows users to invite other users to arbitrary communication sessions over the Internet, and at the same time allows for arbitrary routing of these invitations.
The aforesaid IN and AIN approaches used in SS7 are limited to the phone network and are not easily extendable to other networks like the Internet. Thus, there is no easy way to advertise availability of other users to communicate. There also is no easy way for users to configure their routing, except through limited interfaces. Instant messaging systems are typically only IP based, and do not in general allow communication across different networks. Most such systems rely on users to be connected to the system in order for their routing to be active and they disclose network addresses to other users, which potentially can be considered a security breech. Furthermore, most systems rely on a centralized architecture which may make it difficult to distribute a user database and traffic among many providers.
In general, various systems address a portion of the problems discussed above. However, there exists a need in the art for a system/network and corresponding method for handling one or more of the aforesaid problems in a more comprehensive manner.
A system includes a loosely confederated network of server clusters along with any number of client terminals (i.e., clients) that connect to the clusters. Terminals/clients can be software entities running under some operating system or any other device running on some communication network that can have access to the cluster. Users are registered within some specific cluster and given a unique user ID. This user ID along with the ID of the cluster (CID) constitutes a globally unique user ID (UID) within the whole system. Users can be human or any other entity that connects to the cluster via some client terminal or by some other method/system. Terminals can gain access to any number of services running within the cluster, or to services running in other clusters (a xe2x80x9cservicexe2x80x9d is a software entity that can have arbitrary functions). The connection between the terminal and the cluster is secure, and may use cryptography in certain embodiments.
Basic services which may be provided within each cluster, include, for example: 1) dynamic user properties, called online status or user""s xe2x80x9cpresencexe2x80x9d, that allows users and clients to centrally define and modify data points linked to them; these changes can either be manual (explicitly made by the user) or automatic (by some client or server side logic); 2) contact list and contact notification, that allow users to subscribe and be notified of the online status of other users, and/or be notified of change of other user""s presence information; and 3) routing service, that allows users to send requests (i.e., invitations) for communication sessions to other users, as well as configure how these invitations are handled depending on the user""s current presence information.
The routing service allows users to send invitations to other users to establish an arbitrary communication session (e.g., text chat session, voice chat session, web conference, etc.) over arbitrary networks. The requests are not sent directly between users. Instead, the routing service for the sending/inviting user sends the invitation to the routing service for the receiving user. The routing service for the receiving user determines, according to a logic specified by the same receiving user, how the request is handled and what services are available to handle the request. For example, the routing service for the receiving user may forward the invitation to the receiving user""s client, may ignore the invitation, may forward the invitation to the receiving user""s mobile phone, or may forward the invitation to the receiving user""s inbox so that the user may later read the invitation.
The cluster and services within it make the necessary minimum setup for the session to be established, and thus no network addresses need to be exchanged between the users, thus retaining the anonymity of the users. As users can be software entities as well as persons, the system allows communication sessions between users and arbitrary data services. In certain embodiments, the system does not need a central database of all users to function, but clusters can forward requests to other clusters, and thus insure the connectivity of all clusters within the system.
The application provides users with a buddy list (i.e., contact list). A user can add other users to this list and organize them into groups. Using the application, the user can be aware of the online status of users in his/her buddy list (i.e., contact list), and get notification when these users"" status(es) changes. Moreover, a user can set his/her own online status, make himself/herself invisible to annoying users, and send users in his/her buddy list any kind of message with a simple double click.
In certain embodiments, messages are not sent directly between users, but instead through at least one intermediate routing service (RS) provided on a server of one of the users. Thus, in certain embodiments, a user may hide or mask his/her personal information from other users even when communicating with them. In certain embodiments, a user may establish a communication session with another user without knowledge of the client device (e.g., PC, mobile phone, etc.) being used by the other user; as the network arranges for communication (e.g., text chat session, voice chat session (PC to PC, PC to PSTN, or PC to mobile phone), web conference, or pages (PC to PC, PC to SMS)) between the users regardless of the client device being used by the called user. Thus, the network enables any of the above communication services between users, and the initiating user need not know whether the other user is currently online via his/her PC or may instead be reached via pager or mobile phone.